Daily Digest

'Babe' Howard's Estate Sells Vacant Land

Warren Nickolas Nunn has bought several large parcels of vacant land from the estate of William S. Howard Sr. for $2.3 million, financing it with a $2.5 million loan through Patriot Bank.

Millington benefactor and business owner William S. “Babe” Howard died in 2008.

The sale document lists six parcel numbers, all south of Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park. The park is on the eastern border of the Mississippi River north of Memphis.

The parcel numbers, as listed in the sale deed, total 1,726.8 acres with a combined 2011 Shelby County Assessor of Property appraisal of about $2 million. The sizes, as well as each one’s 2011 appraisal, are as follows: 977.9 acres, $1.5 million; 391.5 acres, $248,100; 272 acres, $114,000; 58.5 acres, $24,800; 23.9 acres, $7,500; and 3 acres, $43,100.

The 272-acre parcel is Dorty Island in the Mississippi River.

Nunn lists an East Memphis address. He did not return phone calls for more information.

Source: The Daily News Online & Chandler Reports

– Daily News staff

Memphis Featured in Delta 'Sky' Mag

The December issue of “Sky” – the award-winning onboard magazine of Delta Air Lines Inc. – features a 37-page section on Memphis.

Delta partnered with the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau, Greater Memphis Chamber and local Memphis businesses and organizations to highlight what the city has to offer Delta’s business and leisure travelers.

The spread showcases the city’s business climate, health care industry – including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – higher education institutions, and lifestyle and entertainment options.

The Atlanta-based airline operates one of its seven U.S. hubs at Memphis International Airport and is the dominant Memphis carrier, accounting for 167 of the 202 average daily scheduled flights during October, the most recent period available.

Coba Named President of ServiceMaster Divs.

Thomas Coba, the outgoing chief operating officer of Subway Restaurants, has been named the new president of ServiceMaster Clean and Merry Maids, two divisions of Memphis-based The ServiceMaster Co.

Coba’s appointment is the latest shakeup in the ranks of the residential- and commercial-services network that began last year when Hank Mullany was named ServiceMaster CEO.

The two divisions encompass four brands: ServiceMaster Clean, Merry Maids, AmeriSpec and Furniture Medic. The four entities together provide residential and commercial cleaning services, disaster restoration, home inspections and furniture repair, respectively. They include more than 6,000 franchises and licensing agreements in 33 countries with 31,000 team members.

Mike Isakson, who had been president and chief operating officer of ServiceMaster Clean and Merry Maids, will become president of franchise relations and report to Coba.

After becoming CEO, Mullany immediately replaced the head of the TruGreen section on an interim basis with a leader of the Terminix division and began overhauling the lawn care company’s approach to customers and its sales approach.

Also this week, the Terminix division of ServiceMaster announced it will hold three job fairs starting Sat. Dec. 3, at 11 a.m. Terminix will be taking applications for 90 full-time inside sales representatives.

Job fairs will also be held Jan. 3 and Jan. 28 at the same location. The times for those two job fairs have not been announced.

– Bill Dries

U of M Professor Graesser Awarded for Research

Dr. Art Graesser, professor of psychology and founding co-director of the Institute for Intelligent Systems at the University of Memphis, will receive the first Presidential Award for Lifetime Achievement in Research from the University of Memphis.

This award is the U of M’s highest level of research recognition given to faculty. It was established as part of the university’s centennial fundraising campaign.

After joining the U of M’s psychology department in 1985, Graesser, along with Dr. Stan Franklin, established the Institute for Intelligent Systems as one of the first interdisciplinary research centers on campus. Today, IIS research involves about 60 faculty and students from the fields of computer science, mathematics, cognitive psychology, physics, neuroscience, education, linguistics, philosophy, anthropology, engineering and business.

Graesser is a leader in the learning sciences, with expertise in text comprehension, question answering and intelligent tutoring systems.

He will receive the award during the U of M’s Centennial Research Celebration Feb. 28.

– Taylor Shoptaw

Musician Williams' Items on Loan to Rock 'n' Soul

The trumpet and trademark black bowler hat owned by Memphis musician Rudy Williams are now a part of the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum. Williams died in May at age 70.

“The Mayor of Beale Street” was a fixture on the street, serenading visitors for more than 50 years.

The trumpet and hat were loaned to the museum by Williams’ widow, Marva Williams, who the musician met when they attended Booker T. Washington High School together in the 1950s.

The items will be displayed in the museum’s “Coming to Memphis” gallery, which identifies the significance of Beale Street, its history, its people and its musical influence.

– Andy Meek

St. Jude Marathon Saturday Will Create Heavy Traffic

The sold-out St. Jude Marathon will create heavy pedestrian traffic in Memphis Saturday, Dec. 3, as more than 16,000 runners will take to the streets.

Starting at 8 a.m., the marathon weaves through Downtown at the beginning and end of the course.

The elite runners generally finish in a little more than two hours.

A steady flow of runners will continue until about 2 p.m. The race finishes at AutoZone Park.

Heavy traffic is expected from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. along Poplar Avenue and North Parkway from Downtown to Overton Park as well as along Peabody and Linden avenues from East Parkway to Downtown.

Crews are scheduled to start cleanup around 2 p.m.

Drivers are encouraged to take alternate routes from 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Baptist Comm. Department Wins Eight MarCom Awards

The corporate communications department at Baptist Memorial Health Care has received eight MarCom Awards, which honor excellence in marketing and communications.

Play it Down, a national teen hearing-loss campaign initiated by Baptist earlier this year, earned three platinum awards: marketing/promotion campaign, video and mobile app. The campaign also received an honorable mention for media response.

Baptist’s annual Pink Tie event, a fashion show honoring women who have fought breast cancer, received a gold award. The media response to the rehabilitation of Darreontae Martin, a former high school football star who nearly lost his legs after being hit by two drag racers in May, also earned a gold award.

Two other projects were given honorable mentions: an article titled “Baptist Nurse Recruiter Writes Debut Novel,” which detailed Baptist colleague Kim Ridley’s efforts in releasing her novel, and the Baptist Heart Transplant Donor event, which brought together heart transplant recipients and the families of heart donors.